We'll Always Have Forever
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: Abby proves to Connor that some couples really do last forever.


We'll Always Have Forever  
2013 Evenstar Estel

Abby felt a knot in her stomach as she watched Connor walk along the corridor towards his lab. He'd been moping around the ARC for nearly a month now and people were growing concerned. She knew what was troubling her husband and when Matt had come to her that morning to inquire after Connor's health, she'd assured their friend that Connor was going through something personal and not to worry, she was handling it. It had begun to affect his job however. He was cosntantly distracted and it had almost got him and the team in trouble more than once. He'd stare off into space, or get this look on his face that seemed as if he was about to cry. He was frustrated and angry with himself for letting the issue get to him as it had done, but her husband was a sensitive man and something that he thought safe had been taken from him. There seemed to be a void within him where there wasn't one before. Abby thought it was time to push him a little, help him get passed what was troubling him.

She knew he'd be terribly embarrassed if anyone found out the real reason for his depression. Even sharing it with her had left him feeling diminished and weak. It was stupid, he thought, but Abby didn't. She didn't just love Connor for his strengths, she loved every part of him. What he thought was silly about himself, only served to deepen her affection for him. She followed and lingered outside his door for a few moments, watching as he stared into the infinite depths of the internet, revisiting the same pages every few moments, finding nothing had changed. In a few months time, none of this would matter. He'd be past it and they'd be on to something new, and hopefully exciting. In the meantime however, he was sad and that she could not abide.

She entered and quietly approached, gently laying her hands upon his shoulders. He was startled for just a moment but then sighed and sagged, relieved it was only her. She rubbed her cheek against his hair and kneaded his tense shoulder muscles.

"Come sit with me for a bit?" she bade.

"I should really..." he began, but gave up. What good was his excuse that he needed to work when there in front of him was a message board that had absolutely nothing to do with anomalies, dinosaurs or anything related to their jobs. He closed the laptop and rose, letting her guide him to the sofa in the corner of the room. They'd spent many quiet, and some not so quiet, times on the little sofa. Most of the activities involved them being rather romantic, the thoughts of which always made her blush. Connor slumped down on to one of the lush cushions and sighed heavily. "I know I'm being an idiot."

"Not at all," Abby countered, taking her place next to him, pressing their sides together as she put her arm around his shoulders. "If it's any consolation, Conn, I get it. I really do." He made a face that informed her that he didn't believe her. She began stroking her fingers through the lengths of his thick, dark hair. It was getting very long, but part of her rather liked it, and liked tangling her fingers in it even more. "Talk to me. And don't begin with _It's stupid_, because it's not to you and that means it's not to me either. You've told me what's got you upset, but you've not explained why."

He took in a big breath and let it out slowly before speaking. "When my dad died, I had this big hole in my life and I didn't really know what to do with myself. Then the show came on air and I got sucked in. It was brilliant! Science fiction, lots of action, bit of romance, everything a fourteen year old boy needed to take his mind off his troubles. It sort of brought me back to life. Then when I found out the actors were going to be attending a comic book convention nearby I begged Mum to let me go on the bus on me own. I was so nervous, but they were the nicest pair of people I'd ever met and made me feel important for the few minutes I got to talk to them. Finding out they'd got together in real life just like their characters had on the show made it even better.

So on life went, the show continued and everything was pretty good. I was still getting bullied, still getting knocked about at school, but I had this place to escape to, y'know? Everything was fine in that world and it was supposed to stay that way. Even when the show ended they were still out there, keeping it going in a way. I met them again at another convention in London right after I started at Uni and they hadn't changed. They were together for so long and as far I was concerned, they were always going to be. Their characters got a happy ending, I never could've imagined they wouldn't. They were just a safe little corner of undisturbed goodness in this world and now it's like the ground's gone out from under me."

He cast a furtive glance in her direction and she smiled sympathetically at him. "It's okay to grieve the loss of something that you loved and made you happy. Real life isn't like television, and I know you know that. Hell, ours would make for a pretty wild one! But, in real life, not all couples stay together. Sadly, most of them don't nowadays. We don't know what went on behind closed doors. Their public persona might not've been the whole story. We only knew what they let us see. They might've had problems they couldn't overcome. Maybe they gave up too easily, or maybe they did everything they could. Celebrities lead pretty stressful lives. I know they went off and did different projects. Maybe it was the time and distance apart that did it, maybe it was something deeper. Maybe things had just run their course. They never did things conventionally from what I could tell."

"All of what you're saying makes sense. I know it."

"But it still hurts. You just need time to process, get your head around it all."

He nodded his head. "Still feel a fool though! Mourning a celebrity couple from me favourite tv show busting up!"

"What you're mourning Connor is the loss of something that made you happy that you were certain was safe. It's not them so much, you know they'll be okay as individuals. It's what they represented."

"That's the truth of it, yeah. I don't know if I could ever even watch the DVDs anymore."

"Maybe some day, when you've got a bit of distance from how you feel right now."

"Yeah, maybe."

"And I think maybe you're scared that if a couple you thought were a sure thing could break up, that maybe you're thinking that it could happen to us?" She'd touched a nerve there, she could tell straight away by the way his expression twisted. She took her arm from around his shoulders and with her other, reached up and cupped his face, turning his head to her. "Connor, some couples _do_ last forever. Some couples fall in love, get married and are together until a very old age."

"Me mum n' dad, they've would've... if he'd not..."

"If he'd not died. Where as my mum and dad couldn't even make it five years together." She leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "We'll be fine, Conn. We really will. _We_ will always have forever. It's a promise I can keep. Can you make me the same promise?"

He didn't hesitate before replying. "Of course, Abby, I love you! I've loved you since the day I first laid eyes on you!"

Abby smiled and kissed him again. "And you're the best thing to ever come into my life. They day I met you put my life on a completely unexpected path and look at where it's lead me. I have a husband I love with all my heart and we're building a life together. Plus, we've got a new house we still have to remodel and decorate... by the way, you're not getting a home office."

"Beg pardon?"

She'd confused him, and it amused her. Now that he'd got his feelings out, it was to her to help him move on to happier things. "I'm afraid you'll have to nix the idea entirely. We'll need the spare room for the baby."

"For the..." His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. Her smile deepened, then she erupted in laughter, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. His arms came around her and he choked on a sob. When she drew back she saw tears in his eyes and herself welling up at the sight of them.

"I've know for a a couple of weeks, but didn't think it was the right time to tell you. You've been pretty down lately and I thought I should wait. I also had to work up the courage, since we'd not planned on getting pregnant yet, but it happened about six weeks ago."

"Abby... I... wow..." He laughed and tears streamed down his cheeks. "Oh Abby!"

"Happy?"

"Happy? Happy doesn't even begin to cover it! This is... I don't even have the words. I love you, that's all. That's everything!" He lay his hand on her abdomen and kissed her, passionately and a little clumsy, pouring every ounce of his love for her into it.

Abby lay her forehead to his and stroked his cheek with her fingertips, crying and laughing with him. "We'll get to have forever, Conn, you'll see."

The End

_I am very sad to say that this will likely be my last story for Connor and Abby, as well as Primeval. It's been an incredible few years exploring the lives of this brilliant couple and taking them on amazing adventures. I thank all my readers and reviewers from the bottom of my heart for all their support and encouragement. Special thanks goes to PrehistoricCat, one of my 'partners in crime' and an invaluable friend and beta. This story is dedicated to her._

_In my heart and in my imagination, Connor and Abby Temple live a very long beautiful life together full of love, children and adventures, never wavering in their love and devotion to each other, forever bonded. Soulmates._


End file.
